Letter: Never Forget that DuPage County Officials Have Set Their Sights on Our Open Land

I am reading about this Deb Conroy (D-46th Elmhurst) legislation to eliminate the DuPage County Forest Preserve District commissioners' pay and the bill to move over their responsibilities to the DuPage County Board members. This does seem like a huge step backwards in time, to 23 years ago.  

In 1988, the County Board commissioners and committees eagerly thought that an incinerator on Forest Preserve district property would solve their revenue problems. I became a Board Member of CHASE, the citizens group that fought this county plan, and then the "Landfill Beyond our Lifetime" plan. The idea 21 years ago then was to fully separate the County Board from the interests of the Forest Preserve District lands so that the county could not make money from the Forest Preserve. I remember all the details. The Legislature felt the same way then because we told our state representatives and Illinois state senator often.  

I am absolutely astonished that the Legislature members today think it differently. The two entities should remain separate!  

I was the minivan driver for then new State Rep. Kirk Dillard in 1992 when it came time to show him our point-of-view at Green Valley Forest Preserve Landfill. I have not changed my mind.

The current plans to dissolve any feature about the Forest Preserve District members is completely counter to the then widespread belief that the DuPage County Board and its commissions should indeed be separate from the DuPage County Forest Preserve. Their interests were not the same then and it took the Illinois Legislature, led by Rep. Kirk Dillard then, to pass legislation that was applauded by really everyone in the early '90's.  

The plan then was that the Forest Preserve should be separate from the county government; the persons elected to each district would be reduced and NOT wear two hats. This is why there are six districts today since 1994, each with three County Board members, a total of 18 County Board members. The Forest Preserve interests would be established by one commission member elected at large from each of the six county districts.  

All this was deemed well and safe then—almost 20 years ago. Now, what has happened that the County Board members have forgotten this? I have not.  Most of the County Board members then, for or against the continued use of the landfill, are still with us in their respective districts. They have not forgotten the passion that went into this fight and subsequent legislation in Springfield.  

Within the last decade for example, the county received land from the Forest Preserve in Greene Valley for a shooting range.

Forest Preserve commissioners: the temptations exist. The job you were elected to work for—and if necessary FIGHT for—cannot be dissolved. Your elected office was planned for 20 years ago. I urge you to be mindful of what I was a part of that you and the other commissioners and Forest Preserve president are in a leadership position to worry about, because county officials have their eyes and plans on our open green space. 

The Forest Preserve lands cannot be discussed by any county officials this decade to solve their physical management problems or revenue shortfalls.   This is easy: In 1992, we called "Flora and Fauna." We said it often. Now fight to keep our peace. I did. We all did.  

—Frank Fletcher-Broucek, board member, Citizens For a Healthy And Safe Environment, Woodridge